COMPUTERIZED DESIGN OF ROCK SLOPES USING INTERACTIVE GRAPHICS FOR THE INPUT AND OUTPUT OF GEOMETRICAL DATA

This paper describes a computer program that can model the behavior of assemblages of rock blocks and visually display this behavior on the screen of a Cathode Ray Tube (CRT). There are no restrictions on block shapes and no limits to the magnitudes of displacements and rotations that are allowed. The user specifies the rock geometry by "drawing" lines on the CRT. This information is passed to a mini-computer which then interprets each closed area as a discrete block, and allows the blocks to move relative to one another under the action of gravity and user specified forces. Hypothetical slope geometries are examined using the model to ascertain the stability of a given slope in light of given joint properties.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Proceedings of 16th Symposium on Rock Mechanics, Meeting of Methods in Rock Mechanics, Minnesota University, Minneapolis, September 22-24, 1975.
• Corporate Authors:

  Arts en Auto

  P.O. Box 64
  Utrecht,   Netherlands 
• Authors:
  • Cundall, P
  • Voegele, M
  • Fairhurst, C
• Conference:
  • Proceedings of 16th Symposium on Rock Mechanics, Meeting of Methods in Rock Mechanics, Minnesota University, Minneapolis, September 22-24, 1975.
• Publication Date: 1977

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: p. 5-15

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Cathode ray tubes; Civil engineering; Computer aided design; Computer graphics; Computer programs; Dislocation (Geology); Information processing; Minicomputers; Roads; Rock mechanics; Rocks; Rotation; Slope stability
• Uncontrolled Terms: Interactive graphics
• Old TRIS Terms: Cathode rays
• Subject Areas: Geotechnology; Highways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00165129
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Engineering Index
• Report/Paper Numbers: Proceeding
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Dec 27 1977 12:00AM